Office



BL TATHAM.

Making Lead Pipe;

Patented May 11. 1852.

Wifnesse s;

FCE.

BENJ. TATHAM, OF NE'W YORK, N. Y.

LEAD-PIPE MACHINERY.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,943, dated May 11, 1852.

T '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN TATHAM, of New York, N. Y., haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Machinery for Making Pipes and Tubes ofLead and other bubstances, and that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, ref erence being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification.

My said invention is an improvement upon the method of making pipes fromset or solid lead described in the specification of a patent granted toThomas Burr. of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England, dated the 11th dayof April, A.. D. 1820. In Burrs method the machine consists of thefollowing distinct parts (independent of the power required to work it)and each part designed to perform a definite oflice, namely: 1st, thecylinder to contain the lead which is run into it in the molten state;2nd, the ram or piston to expel the lead; 3rd, the core attached to theram to form the caliber of the pipe; 4th, the die to form the exteriorof the pipe.

In order to make good pipe (the caliber and exterior thereof concentric)it is indispensable that the core, during the entire operation of themachine, should be kept in a true central position within the apertureof the die. In this respect Burrs machine failed. It was found inpractice that the core being firmly attached to the ram and moving withits every motion was liable to become bent, and although pipes could bemade by the machine, the thickness of the metal was liable to beirregular. In every other respect, Burrs machine was perfect. Thecylinder, the ram and the die performed their respective 0fficescorrectly. The difficulty was confined to the operation of the core; butthis was so great as to prevent the plan from getting into common use.Several plans have been invented to remedy this defect of Burrs machine.In those which have been successful the arrangement has been such thatthe ram and the core perform their respective ofiices independently ofeach other. 'The core has been held in a central position by meansindependent of the rain, so that the latter could perform its oflice(expel the lead) without moving or disturbing the core.

the central orifice of escape, exerting an equal pressure from allsides, and therefore the mot-ion of the particles has no tendency toforce the core from its true central position in the cylinder, butrather to sustain that position. In order therefore to avoid the defectabove pointed out in the Burr machine and retain all its advantages Iattach the core to the ram by a universal joint or other equivalentconnection, so that it may be free to take its position relatively tothe die by the pressure of the issuing lead, while at the same time itcan be drawn back with the ram and be held in a central position duringthe reception of a new charge of lead, by the remaining portion of theprevious charge.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a sectional View of theapparatus in position, and ready for operation. A, is the ram; B, is thecore; C, is the box holding the end of the core and with it forming theuniversal joint. It is secured in its place by a screw pin or otherwise.D is the cylinder.

The tint of red color represents the metal.

Fig. 2, is a sectional view of another method of constructing the ramand core, by which the same object can be attained. A is the upper partof the ram; B is the core; C is the face or lower part of the ram. P. isa steel pin which connects them all together. This pin fits the hole inthe ram exactly, but it is smaller than the hole in the upper end of thecore so as to allow of free motion. The upper part of the core is alsomade smaller than the recess in the ram which receives it, and it isslightly tapered to permit the same free motion.

Fig. 3, shows the parts detached.

The mode of operation so far as refers to forcing out the lead issimilar to that described by Thomas Burr.

I do not confine myself to the manner of constructing the parts so longas the core is connected with or attached to the ram by a jointwhichwill leave free to occupy its central position in the die.

I am aware that it has been attempted to remedy the defects abovepointed out in the Burr machine, by casting an ingot of lead to fit thecylinder and with a central hole to receive the core, the said ingot inthe solid state being then inserted in the cylinder, the core insertedin the central hole and then the ram applied to express the lead throughthe die and around the core thus kept in a central position by the ingotof solid lead into which it is previously inserted, but in this methodthe core is not attached to the ram, and the lead is not cast or runinto the cylinder and around the core, nor can it be from the fact thatthe core is only held by inserting it in the central hole previously,and by other means formed in the ingot of lead. I am aware that theinventor of this machinery describes the core as being forced to thecenter of the die and retained there by'the pressure of the issuingpipe, and

therefore I do not claim broadly having the core so that it shall not beaffected by the vibrations of the ram.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis Connecting the core with the ram by means of a universal joint or itsequivalent, substantially as specified so that the core shall beretracted with the ram, in combination with the cylinder and die of amachine for making pipeby pressure from lead or other soft metal runinto the cylinder and onto the said core in the molten state,substantially as specified, whereby the core is retracted with the ramand held in position while the charge is poured in and during theoperation of forming the pipe, the vibrations of the ram do notpractically afli'ect the central position of the core in the dies, asherein specified.

BENJ N. TATHAM.

' Witnesses:

C. WM. M. KELLER,

GANsTEN BROMER.

